This week we celebrated two years of returning home since Cody’s traumatic brain injury. March is also brain injury awareness month.

When I got the phone call that Cody was in an accident, I packed one small carry on, and bought a one way flight to Denver. I had no idea what I was walking into, and in those first few days, all I wanted was to find a way to bring him home. Neither of us had been away from the kids for more than a few days

When we discovered the severity of Codys brain injury, I also knew that we had no where in Oklahoma that specialized in the type of traumatic brain injury rehab he would need- and the reality that we would be separated as a family  for an extended time hit me so deeply. It was truly one of the hardest parts about his accident

Cody was a helmeted skier- he was healthy, he wasn’t being reckless, and the reality is that life can change in an instant. Brain injuries affect 1 in 5 Americans. He suffered 3 intracranial bleeds and diffuse axonal injury, and became the survivor of a severe traumatic brain injury. Life as we knew it changed that day. He has never been the same person, and neither have I

Brain injuries are so complex- none of them look the same. They can change so many aspects of a person that people don’t see on the outside.  Every single day I think about how blessed we are that we are together, that Cody can work, and that he gets to be a dad to our 3 kids.

His accident taught me how to fully and completely rely on my faith- it taught me how much I can change an experience when I change my perspective. It taught me the importance of loving one another through sickness and in health.

If you are interested in donating to help support brain injury and spinal cord survivors, these two organizations are near and dear to our family! Craig is the hospital Cody spent a month at in Denver with specialized care for brain injuries- it is truly a place of miracles!

Make a Gift to Craig Hospital Foundation

The brain injury recovery foundation is a local organization in Tulsa. The goal is to open a rehab facility here for our community to keep families together during rehabilitation.

Donate to the Brain Injury Recovery Foundation